Peptidoglutaminase

ABSTRACT

A NOVEL ENZYME, PEPTIDOGLUTAMINASE, WHICH IS OBTAINED FROM A NEWLY ISOLATED STRAIN OF MICROORGANISM BELONGING TO BACILLUS CIRCULANS, HAS AN ACTIVITY TO REACT WITH GLUTAMINYL-PEPTIDES WHERE GLUTAMINE IS LOCATED AT C-, N-TERMINALS AND THE INTERNAL POSITIONS OF PEPTIDES WITHOUT SPLITTING THESE PEPTIDE BONDS, HAS AN ABILITY TO DEAMIDATE YAMIDE GROUP OF SUCH GLUTAMINE TO GLUTAMYL-PEPTIDES. THE ENZYME, WHEN ADDED TO A PROTEIN CONTAINING RAW MATERIAL FOR PRODUCTION OF BEVERAGES AND FOODS, MAY MARKEDLY ENHANCE THE RESULTING BEVERAGES AND FOODS IN PALATABILITY.

1251974 MAMQRU KIKUCHl ETAL. 3,796,633

PEPTIDOGLUTAMINASE Filed May l0, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 AMOUNT 0F PROE//v 0.2- E/VZYME Aer/wry FRAU/0N NUMBER (3. 95 m! March 12,1974 MAMRU KiKucHl ETAL 3,796,533

PEPTIDOGLUTAMINASE 5 Sheets-Sheet. 5

Filed May l0, 1971 FIG. 3

waz/N7 0F P/PUE//V ENZYME ACT/wry 50. FRAU/0N NUMBER 5 95ml) -'United y States Patent:`

3,796,633 PEPTIDOGLUTAMINASE Mamoru Kikuchi, Nagareyama, Kenji Sakaguchi, Kashiwa, and Eiichi Nakano, Noda, Japan, assignors to Kikkoman Shoyu Co., Ltd., Noda, Noda-shi, and v Noda Institute for Scientific Research, Nuda, Nodashi, Japan Continuation-in-partof application Ser. No. 71,129, Sept.

10, 1970. This application May 10, 1971,A Ser.' No.

` Int. Cl. C07g 7/02 U.S. Cl. 195--62 8 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A novel enzyme, peptidoglutaminase, which is obtained from a newly isolated strain of microorganism belonging `to Bacillus circulans, has an activity to react with glu- This is a continuation-impart application of patent application Ser. No. 71,129 tiled on Sept. 1'0, 1970, now abandoned.

This invention relates to a process for preparing a new peptidoglutaminase having an activity capable of effecting deamidation of glutamine in peptides and to a process for producing beverages and foods in which the present enzyme is used and thereby to enhance said beverages and foods in Ipalatability. y

Glutaminase is an enzyme which is able to hydrolyze glutamine to glutamic acid and ammonia. Itis well known that the glutaminase is obtained from animals, plants and microorganisms. f

This enzyme, however, specically reacts with only free glutamine and is unable to deamidate y-amide group ofl glutamine where the glutamine is bondedfto peptides In the production of glutamic acid using glutaminase,`

therefore, .it has heretofore been adopted such a method in which protein is rst decomposed with using such enzymes as protease or peptidase tol liberate glutamine and then the liberated glutamine is allowed to react with glutaminase to deamidate fy-amide group of said liberated glutamine, thereby to yield the desired glutamic acid.

However, when protein is rst hydrolyzed, according to such arnethod mentioned above, by aid of the action of protease, peptidase or the like, a free glutamine or a glutamine being bonded to N-terminal of peptide is produced. Such glutamines are liable to form tasteless pyroglutamic acid because Iy and ai-positions of glutamine tend to bond cyclically to each other. Particularly, in the case of the latter glutamine being bonded to N-terminal of peptide, it is not subject to deamidation even when gl-utaminase is present therewith, and form pyroglutamylpeptides in a state of being bonded to peptide, and hence cannot be converted to glutamic acid.

Accordingly, in the production of'beverages and foods such as soy sauce, miso (bean paste), cheese and the like using protein-containing substances as a raw material, it has heretofore been known to permit-proteolytic lCC enzymes, i.e. protease, peptidase or the like, to react with the raw material, thereby to obtain peptides or amino acids. As mentioned previously, when protein is decomposed with the proteolytic enzymes in order to'pfurther increase the resulting glutamic acid and the glutamyl-peptides in their amounts, glutamine is liberated as a free glutamine or becomes glutaminyl-peptides where glutamine is on the N-terminal of the peptide. Such glutamines convert very easily to pyroglutamic acid in an acidic or neutral solution, where yand a-positions of quickly bond to each other in a cyclical form. That is, peptide type glutamine is not subject to deamidation even in the presence of a common glutaminase and especially, amino-terminal peptide-bonded glutamine'becomes peptide-bonded pyroglutamic acid while remaining in a peptide type glutamine state and becomes tasteless, because the common glutaminase reacts only to with a free glutamine.

Furthermore, when glutamine is liberated once, the velocity to form pyroglutamic acid thereof is 'very fast, and hence it is preferable to effect, if possible, deamidation of glutaminyl-peptides, as it is, thereby converting the same to glutamyl-peptides.

Heretofore, as an enzyme capable of reacting with peptide-bonded glutamine, trans-glutaminase was disclosed by H. Waelsch et al., Archiv. Biochem. Biophys, 84, 5218 (1959) and by 1. E. Folk and P. W. Cole, J. Biol. Chem., 240, 2951 (1965). This enzyme is known to show a weak deamidation activity upon 'y-amide group of glutaminyl-peptides. Originally, however, this enzyme is not such hydrolytic enzyme as glutaminase, but it is characterized by a substitution reaction of 'y-amide group of glutamine in protein or peptide with a primary amine, and is very weak in the aforesaid activity of hydrolysis. Furthermore, it does not react at all with certain peptides such as glycyl glutamine, glutaminyl glycine, glycylglutaminyl glycine and the like.

Accordingly, the trans-glutaminase are inconvenient in the production of glutamic acid using protein as a raw material kor in the preparation of beverages and foods where the content of glutamic acid is important for their palatability. Further, the source of supply of this transglutaminase is limited, because it is obtained from the liver of guinea pig.

An object of the present invention is to provide an enzyme which is capable of deamidating y-amide group of glutamine in peptides irrespectively of the adjacent amino acids, as a method to obtain a large amount of glutamic acid frornvprotein-containing raw materials without forming pyroglutam-ic acid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a process for obtaining an enzyme capable of increasing the amount of L-glutamic acid or glutamylpcptides contained in beverages and foods which are prepared by hydrolysis of protein-containing raw materials and which contains the resultant peptides or amino acids as a part of palatable components thereof.

A further object of the present invention is to provide 'a process for producing beverages and foods in which the content of L-glutamic acid or glutamylpeptides may be increased by allowing said beverages and foods to react with an enzyme having the aforesaid activity. lFurther objects and purposes of the present invention will appear from the following description and examples.

The present inventors extensively studied and investigated for achieving the aforesaid objects. As a result, they have found that a new strain No. 466 which has been isolated newlyvby the present inventors from soil and is cons idered to belong to the genus Bacillus circulans, is able to produce an enzyme which reacts directly with glutamine being bonded to peptide as such and deamid'ates 'y-amide group of glutamine without spliting the peptide bond, and have accomplished the present invention based on the above finding. Since such enzyme as found by the present inventors has never been known heretofore, they have named this enzyme peptidoglutaminase (hereinafter referred to as PGase).

Further studies conducted by the present inventors on this enzyme have resulted in the finding that this enzyme of one type reacts with the glutamine located at the carbo`xyl terminal (C-terminal) of peptide, but does not substantially react with the glutamine located at the amino terminal (N-terminal) or at the internal position of the peptides, and this enzyme of the other type does not substantially react with the glutamine located at the lcarboxyl terminal (C-terminal) of peptide, but reacts with only glutamine locatedv at the amino terminal (N-terminal) of peptide or at the internal position of the peptides. The present inventors have named the former enzyme peptidoglutaminase-I (PGase-I) and the latter peptidoglutaminase-II (PGase-II).

The present invention has been completed on the basis of the above finding, and is directed to a process for oby taining PGase, which s characterized by culturing in a culture medium a strain belonging to the genus Bacillus, in particular, and having a PGase-producing ability to accumulate the PGase in the cells of said strain and recovering said PGase from the cultured product, and also to a process for producing beverages and foods in which the present enzyme, PGase, is utilized.

Bacteriological properties of No. 466 strain which produce PGase are tabulated hereinbelow.

(1) Cultural characteristics:

Meat broth Slight growth. Meat broth-agar Growth, 30 C. in 7 days. Lactose-meat broth-agar Good growth, circular,

sticky, entire colony opaque, no coloring matter fonned in a medium. Gelatine stab No growth. Femme-weten..- Slight growth. Litmus milk- No growth. (2) Morphological characteristics:

' Size and form 0.4-0.6 x 2.24P, rod.

Flagellum Circumferential, motile. Spore formation Spore formed.

(3) Physiological characten Gram stain Negative. Methyl red test Do. Indole production- Do. Hydrogen sulde Slightly produced. Ammonia production.. Do. Nitrate reduction-.- Negative. Catalase production- Positive. Gelatine liqueiaction Negative. Starch hydrolysis Positive. Clotting milk Negative. Litmus milk reduction Do. l Utilization of ammonium salt Can grow using ammomum sulfate and ammonium chloride as nitro- The bacteriological properties of said No. 466 strain were studied on the basis of the methods described in the Manual of Microbiological Methods (Society of American Bacteriologists, 1957) and then classified according to Bergeys Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 7th edition (1957). As a result, it is recognized that No. 466 strain is negative in gram stain, forms spores and does not grow at 65 C., and hence this strain is considered to belong to Bacillus circulans. However, in view of the fact that said strain is quite aerobic and requires a carbon source for its growth and also it produces peptidoglutamin'ase, the strain may be considered as a new strain belonging to the genus Bacillus.

A culutre of the present strain is on deposit under accession No. ATCC 21590 with American Type Culture Collection, Rockville, Md.

Usable as the strain in the present invention for production of the PGase are those which are capable of producing peptidoglutaminase and are belonging to the genus Bacillus, without limiting to No. 466 strain or its variants.

These strains capable of producing the present enzyme are cultured mainly in a liquid medium. The culture medium may contain various nutrition sources conventionally employed in the culturing of microorganisms. yParticularly, however, in the case of culturing No. 466 strain of Bacillus circulans, lactose, starch, sucrose and the like are effectively used as a carbon source, but glucose is not preferable. As a nitrogen source, there may be used any 0f inorganic and organic nitrogen-containing substances, for example, ammonium salts such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride and the like, peptone, Casamino acids, yeast extracts, soy bean powder and the like. In addition thereto, there may suitably be used such inorganic salts as phosphate, magnesium salts and the like, an slight amounts of other nutrient substances.

The culturing temperature employed in the present invention is 25-35 C., preferably about 30 C. The optimum pH value is about 7.0. The culturing is carried out according to any of conventional culturing methods as long as it is eifected under areobic conditions. Particularly preferred one is an aeration culture, and it is commercially prefera-ble to employ a jar fermenter equipped with an aeration-agitation apparatus to effect the culturing. The culturing is usually terminated after a 8-20 hour lapse, but it is continued, if necessary for additional about 8 hours to permit the cells of strain to etect self-digestion, thereby to excrete the accumulated enzyme from the cells.

After completion of the culturing, the desired petitidoglutaminase may be recovered, according to common methods for recovering enzyme, from the cultured product. However, the present enzyme is an interacellular enzyme. Therefore, the present enzyme is recovered from the cells of strain in the following manner. The enzyme is extracted by suspending the collected cells in a buffer such as a phosphate buier solution, for example, and grinding hte cells by means of a grinding machine, a sonic or supersonic crusher, a high pressure homogenizer, a French press or the like, or lyzing the cells using such bacteriolytic enzyme as lysozyme. Alternatively, the cells are shaked or allowed to stand in the presence of a solvent such as toluene or the like for an appropriate period of time and are permitted to effect self-digestion to excrete the accumulated enzyme from the cells, and the resultant solution was treated by means of ltration, centrifugal separation or the like to remove solid matters and thereby to obtained a crude enzyme liquid.

Furthermore, in the case where the whole cultured product is utilized as an enzyme material product without separating the cells as above, it is preferable to continue the culturing for additional about 8 hours by aeration-agitation or stationary culture method to permit the cells to effect self-digestion to eliminate the accumulated enzyme from the cells as much as possible.

The crude enzyme liquid thus obtainedmayvbe used assuch or in the form of a crude enzyme powder after being subjected to lyophilization or aceton-treatment. y 'j The crude enzyme liquid or crude enzyme powder of PGase obtained according tot he above manner is charged, if necessary, with streptomycin to precipitate and remove nucleic acid, and then is fractionated by'addition of ammonium sulfate, alcohol, acetone or the likel to collect the fractoinated precipitates. The precipitates is dialyzed with water and lypohilized in vacuo to obtain an standard product of ammonium sulfate-fractionated crude enzyme.

The standard product of the crude enzyme thus 0btained may be treated further according to various purification processes known heretofore to give a highly purified standard enzyme preparation. Such purification processes includes, for example, a gel filtration process iny which Sephadex G-200 (Pharmacia Co. SWden), Bio Gel P- 150 (Bio Rad Co. U.S.A.) and thelike; an asborption and elution process in which such ion exchange substance as DEAE-Sephadex (Diethylaminoethyl Sephadex; Pharmacia Co. Sweden), TEAB-cellulose (Triethylaminoethylcellulose; Brown Co. U.S.A.) and the like, and hydroxylapatite (Bio Rad Co. U.S.A.), and an electrophoresis process in which polyacrylamide and the like are used.

Purification of PGase obtained by culturing No. 466 strain of Bacillus circulans is illustrated below with reference to one example thereof.

The crude enzyme liquid containing PGase-I and PGase-II obtained from No. 466 strain is fractionated give an ammonium sulfate-fractionated enzyme mixture of PGase-I and IPGase-II. This enzyme mixture is dissolved in a buffer solution prepared by mixing 1/ 100 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.6) l/ M potassium chloride and 2/100() M EDTA (ethylene diamine tetraacetate) together to obtain an enzyme liquid. This enzyme liquid is passed through a column packed with Sephadex G-ZOO, to which the same buffer solution as above had been applied in advance, and then the same buffer solution was applied thereto to filter gels. Fractions of fraction No. 50-70 (fractionated into 10 ml. each) are collected. to obtain a mixed partially purified enzyme of PGase-I and PGase-II.

Subsequently, the mixed partially purified enzyme is subjected to column chromatography wherein DEAE Sephadex is used.

Said partially purified enzyme is passed through a column which has been buffered in advance with a buffer solution prepared by mixing together 1/ 100 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 8.0), 1/ 10 M potassium chloride and' 2/ 1000 M EDTA, thereby to adsorb PGase-I and PGase- II thereon, and the adsorbed PGase-I and PGase-II are eluted according to potassium concentration gradient of a buffer solution having the same composition and the same concentrations as mentioned above.

In the above-mentioned process step, PGase-I is eluted at the potassium chloride concentration of 0.17 M-0.21 M, and PGase-II at 0.22 M-0.27 M.

Effective fractions of the respective efiluents thus obtained are collected, whereby partially purified enzyme solutions of PGase-I and PGase-II are obtained, respectively.

tion of PGase-I is obtained.

Subsequently, these enzyme solutions are subjected re- The partially purified enzyme solution of PGase-II is treated in the same procedure as above to obtain a purified enzyme preparation of PGase-II.

The process steps of extraction, separation and purification treatments of peptidoglutaminases-I and -II as illustrated above may be summarized together with the pertinent results thereof and tabulated in the following tables, respectively.

Amount Specific of enzyme activity l contained (unit/mg. Yield, PGase-I (unit) protein) percent 1. Crude enzyme solution 935 0.14 2. Ammonium sulfate-fraction (precipitates formed at OBS-0.54 saturaon) 954 1.00 102 3. Filtration of gels with Sephadex G-200 column (highly purified fraction) 540 27 57 4. DEAE Sephadex column chromatography (highly purified fraction)-- 309 16. 3 33 5. Hydroxyl apatite column chromatography (highly purified fraction) 129 64. 5 13 1 In the determination o activity, carbobenzoxy glutamine was used as a substrate.

11n the determination of activity, carbobenzoxy glutaminyl proline was used as a substrate.

The assay method ofthe PGases are as follows: vrespective substrates were dissolved in the concentration of 10 mM. in a 40 mM. phosphate buffer pH 7.5, added with suitably diluted PGase solution or suspension of Bacillus circulans cells to a final volume of 1.0 ml., incubated for 10 minutes at 30 C. The reaction was terminated by adding 0.1 ml. of 50% trichloroacetic acid, and the liberated ammonia was assayed as usual.

That is, 0.5 ml. of the reaction mixture is adjusted to pH 6.5 with 1 N NaOH and then charged into a small glass vessel. Following the procedure of Cedrangoro et al. (Enzymologia, 29, 143, 1965), 1 ml. of a borate buffer solution (pH 10.8) is added to the contents of the glass vessel, the discharged` ammonia is absorbed by 5 N sulfuric acid, and the mixture is allowed to form color by use of Nesslers reagent, and light absorptivity of the formed color is measured at 420 mit. The amount of enzyme contained was expressed by a unit taken as an amount of the enzyme capable of producing 1n mol/min. of ammonia under the above-mentioned reaction conditions. The specific activity was expressed by number of enzyme units per mg. of protein. In this case, the amount ofV protein-was determined according to Biuret method or ultravioletabsorption method (Methods in Enzylogy, III, 450 to 451, 1957).

The above-mentioned respective enzyme fractions at the final purification stage were dialyzed with an appropriate buffer solution, and then lyophilized and dried to obtain purified PGase-I and PGase-II in the form of a white powder. Furthermore, these PGase-I and PGase-II were subjected to Sephadex G-100 column chromatography to find that both of them had a single peak, respectively.

The properties of PGase-I and PGase-II as novel enzymes obtained according to the present proess are explained hereinbelow.

( 1) Activity The present enzymes have an activity to deamidate glutaminyl-peptides to glutamyl-peptides. Among these enzymes, PGase-I is capable of effecting deamidation of glutamine which is located at the carboxy terminal of the peptides without splitting peptide linkage. While PGase-II reacts with only the 'y-amide group of the glutamine being bonded to N-terminal of the peptide or at the internal position of the peptides.

These activities of the present enzymes will be illustrated below with reference to test examples. In case of PGase-I, carbobenzoxy L-glutamine (hereinafter referred to as CBZ-L-Gln) was used as a substrate, where was carbobenzoxy L-glutaminyl glycine (hereinafter referred to as CBZ-L-Gln-Gly) in case of PGase-II. Their respective activities were confirmed, as shown in the following table, by subjecting their respective substrates, with which these enzymes had been allowed to react, to thin layer chromatography and filter paper-electrophoresis.

Electrophoresis, Thin layer chromatodistance graphy, solvent from original system (Rf value) point to a oint of Compound A B C D phoresis (cm.)

Product obtained by reacting PGaSe-I with CBZ-L-Gln 0.96 0.91 0.44 0.19 12.8 CBZ-L-Gln 0.83 0.81 0.26 0.08 9.2 CBZ-L-Glu 0.96 0.91 0.44 0.19 12.8 Product obtained by reacting PGase-IIwithCBZ-L-Gln-Gly. 0.80 0.85 0.13 0.03 12.6 CBZ-L-Gln-Gly. 0.66 0.72 0.04 0.01 8.8 CBZ-L-Glu-Gly 0. 80 0.85 0.13 0.03 12.7

NOTE.-

1. Solvent system:

A: n-Butanolzacetic aeid:water=4:1:1. B: n-Butanolzacetic acid:5% ammonia water=5.5:3:1.5. C: Ethyl acetate:benzene:acetic acid=50:50:2." D: Chloroformcmethanolzacetic acid=95:5:3.

2. Electrophoresis: Buer solution; pyridinemcetic acidzwater= 25:11225; 2,000 v., 70 min. f

3. CBZ-L-Glu: Carbobenzoxy L-glutamic acid; CBZ-L-Glu-Gly:

Carbobenzoxy L-glutamyl glycine.

indicates that both PGase-I andl PGase-II are capable ofl deamidating glutaminyl-peptides'to glutamylpeptides.

(2) vSubstrate specificity In the following table, the numerical value. represents micromols of ammonia liberated by mg. of. enzyme `in aA minute.

PGase-I PGase-II SubstrateY NH3 (mcromol/min.)

Carbobenzoxy-L-glutamine 62. 2 1. 7 Glycyl-L-glutamine. 61. 2 0. 4 L-Tyrosyl-L-glutami 61. 0 0. 6 N-Acetyl-L-glutamin 53. 8 0. 7 Phthaloyl-D L-glutarm 27. 0 0. 4 L-Prolyl-L-glutamine- 44. 1 0. 1 L-Leucyl-glycyl-L-glutamine 4S. 5 0. 1 Carbobenzoxy-Irglutaminyl-L-proline..-. 0 73. 0 Carbobenzoxyl-L-glutaminyl-L- ycine 0 52. 4 t-Amyloxyearbonyl-L-glutaminyl- L-proline 0 39. 2 L-Phenylalanyl-L-glutaminyl-glyeine 0 33. 5 Pyroglutamnyl-L-glutaminyl-L- alanine 0 26. 2 L-glutaminyl-glyci 0. 98 27. 8 L-Glutamine-. 4. 8 1. 5 L-Asparagine- 0 0 Carbobenzoxy-L- 0 0 Glycyl-L-asparagine. 0 0 L-Leucine-amide 0 0 Glycyl-Irphenylalanineamide 0 0 (3) Optimum pH range 7.0-8.0 6.5-8.0. (4) Stable pH range 6.0-11.4 (4 C. 6.0-11.4 (4 C.

for 16 hrs.). for 16 hrs.). (5) Optimum reaction temperature 10-45 C 1040 C.

range. (6) Conditions of inactivation Completely in- Do.

activated at pH 2.5, 4 C for 16 hours luactivated by Inactivated by 30 at (pH 5 D at pH 5.0, 5.0, 4 for 4 C. for 16 1 6 hours. hours. Completely in- Completely inactivated at activated at pH 10.8, 37 pH 10.0, 37 C. C. for 2 hours. for 2 hours. Completely in- Completely inactivated at activated at pH 7.6, 55 C. pH 7.6, 50 C. for 10 minutes. for 10 minutes. Inactivated by Inactivated by 50% at pH 40% at pH 7.6, 7.6, 50 C. for 45 C. for 10 10 minutes. minutes. (7) Inhibition Inactivated by Do.

.S0-60% in the resence of g or Cu. With 20% of Do.

NaCl at pH 7.5 showed 50% of activity. (8) Activation Slightly acti- Do.

vated by glutathione. (9) Stability Not substan- Do.

tially inactivated when lyophilized and preserved at -20 C. (10) Molecular weight1 80,00090,000 130,000140,000.

1 Molecular weight was determined according to Andrews method (P. Andrews, Biochem. J. 91, 222, 1964), using Sephadex G-100.

Thus, the present peptidoglutaminases, PGase-I and PGase-.II produced from strain No. 466 of Bacillus crulans have the properties as mentioned above. However, the peptidoglutaminase referred to in the present invention are not limited only to the aforesaid PGase-I or rPGase-II. It is needless to say that all the enzymes are included in the scope of the present invention as long asthey have a functional activity to deamidate glutaminylpeptides to glutamyl-peptides.

Heretofore, there have been known many enzyes capable `of hydrolyzing 'y-amide group of glutamine, said enzymes being obtained from various animals and plants. For example, these enzymes include glutaminase [The Enzymes, volume 4, 285 (1960)], trans-glutaminase [.l. Biol.l Chem. 240, 2951 (1965 The present enzymes are entirely different, as shown above, from such enzymes asidentifed above in substrate specificity. That is, glutaminase is not capableof deamidatingfy-amide group of glutamine Abeing bonded to peptides. Contrary thereto, the present enzymes are capable-of effectingthe deamidationffby virtue of reaction with glutamine being bonded to the peptide.

Furthermore, though trans-glutaminase exhibits `a slight reaction of deamidation of peptide-bonded glutamine, as mentioned previously, this enzyme has its inherent properties and activity to exchange a primary amine with amide group of glutamine Within peptide or protein, and its ability to hydrolyze is far Weak. In contradistinction thereto, the present both PGases have not any activity of the exchange of the primary amine, but shows hydrolysisy activity, and is apparently different from trans-gultaminase in the above points.

Still further, trans-glutaminase does not react at all with 'y-amide groups of such peptide-bonded glutamines as glycyl glutamine; glutaminyl glycine; glycyl glutaminyl 4glycine and the like. On the contrary, the present enzymes strongly react with these peptides having glutamine at C-terminal, N-terminal and at the internal position of the peptides.

Trans-glutaminase, moreover, indispensably requires Ca++ to exhibit its activity, whereas the present enzymes do not have such property.

A process for producing beverages and foods, in which the present enzymes are employed, is illustrated hereinbelow.

The amount of enzyme to be added, time required for effecting reaction of the enzyme and other conditions may vary depending on the kind of proteinous nal products. In preparing seasonings such as soy sauce comprising, as 'a principal ingredient, amino acids, particularly glutamic acid, where a protein-containing raw material is treated in per se known method and the protein is decomposed, the present enzyme is added with stirring to the raw material system just before or during the fermentation and ripening operation so that the amount of the present enzyme either in the form of cell containing said enzyme, its extracted crude enzyme liquid or purified enzyme preparation may be 0.01 to 100 units per l ml. of the fermentation broth. Thereafter, procedures commonly employed in the production of beverages and foods may be adopted therefore.

In the cases of solid foods such as miso, cheese and the like, the present enzymes having any of the abovementioned forms may be added with thorough mixing in an amount of about 0.01 to about 100 units per 1 g. of the solid raw material just before or during the com mon ripening process step, and thereafter usual procedure may be taken therefor to obtain the final product.

By virtue of the addition of the present enzymes in the above manner, peptide type glutamic acid is formed, whereby the nal product can be inhanced in palatability as compared with those obtained according to conventional processes without necessitating further promotion of hydrolysis to form amino acids as in the case of protease or the like.

The present enzymes react with glutaminyl-peptides which had been produced with protease from protein, forming glutamnyl-peptides, and further this compound is hydrolyzed in the presence of peptidase to free glutamic acid.` In producing beverages and foods using a proteincontaining raw material having a high molecular weight, the present of protease is indispensable to form such glutamyl-peptides or free Vglutamic acid by the action of the present enzyme. Usually, however, in the case of producing beverages and foods with the object of the present invention, the present enzyme can suiciently and effectively exhibit its ability if such amount of proteinase or peptidase as may usually be used in the production of such beverages and foods, is present.

lIf necessary, in order to permit the present enzyme to act effectively, the addition of peptidase, protease and the like may be suitably chosen in accordance with the object of the beverages and foods to be produced.

Generally, the amount of the present enzyme, when added, may be 0.01 unit or more per milliliter or gram of a raw material.

The process ofy the pre/sent invention may be applied to any process for producing beverages and foods, Wherein a protein-containing substance is used as a raw material and palatability of amino acids or peptides Contained therein are utilized to improve the taste of said beverages and foods. For example, such beverages and foods, of which the palatable components are amino acids, particularly glutamic acid, include seasonings such as soy sauce, mirin, vinegar and the like, beverages such as alcohols, and miso and cheese which contain, as palatable components, amino acids together with peptides.

`In the accompanying drawings, FIG. l is a diagram showing the results of PGase-I and PGase-II eluted with DEAE Sephadex column according to potassium chloride concentration gradient, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an elution curve of a purified enzyme preparation of PGase-I by means of Sephadex G-l00, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an elution curve of a purified enzyme preparation of PGase-II.

The present invention is illustrated below with reference to examples.

EXAMPLE l A culture medium was prepared, which contained 75 g. of lactose, 150 g. of peptone, 45 g. of yeast extracts, 3.4 g. of magnesium sulfate, 150 mg. of ferrous sulfate, 4.1 g. of potassium hydrogen phosphate, 25 g. of disodium hydrogen phosphate, 10 ml. of silicon oil and 15 l. of distilled water and was adjusted to pH 7.2. The medium was charged into a jar fermentor having a capacity of 30 l. and sterilized at 120 C. for 15 minutes. Separately, 750 ml. of a medium having the same composition as above was placed in a 3 l. conical flask, and No. 466 strain of Bacillus circulans was cultured therein with shaking at 30 C. for l2 hours. The sterilized culture medium was inoculated with the cultured strain.

After the inoculation, the culture was carried out at 30 C. with aeration at a rate of 8 1./min. and stirring at a rate of 350 r.p.m.

After about 8 hours, the growth of the strain reached a stationary phase, but the culturing was continued -for additional 8 hours. At this point, accumulation of the peptidoglutaminase reached to the peak, that is, the contents of peptidoglutaminase-I and peptidoglutaminase-II were 0.312 unit and 0.334 unit per ml. of the fermentation liquor, respectively. The culturing was terminated and the cells of the strain were collected. The collected cells of the strain were found to be about 200 g. in wet weight. The wet cells may be usable as a mixed enzyme preparation of PGases-I and -II such or in the form of the powder thereof prepared by use of acetone. 200 g. of the cells contained 2,340 units of PGase-I and 2,510 units of lPGase-II as the total enzyme content.

EXAMPLE 2 grams of the wet cells (1,287 units of PGase-I and 1,375 units of PGase-II being contained as the enzyme content) was suspended in a 0.05 M phosphate buffer solution adjusted to pH 7.2. The cells were ground by means of a sonic wave disintegrator and the suspension was super-centrifuged. The resulted supernatant liquid was collected to give 400 cc. of a crude enzyme solution. This crude enzyme solution contained, as enzymes, 935 units of PGase-I and 1,203 units of PGase-II, of which the rates of recovery were 75% and 88%, respectively.

To this solution was added gradually a solution containing 400' mg. of streptomycin, thereby to eliminate the formed precipitate of nucleic acid, and was further precipitated at a saturation of 3854% with ammonium sulfate. The precipitated protein fractions were collected, whereby was obtained an ammonium sulfate-resolved enzyme comprising PGase-I of 950 mg. as protein and of 954 units as enzyme (a rate of recovery based on the crude enzyme solution: 102% and PGase-II of 954mg. as pro- 1 1 tein and of 858 units as enzyme (a rate of recovery based on the crude enzyme solution: 98%.

This resoluted enzyme may be usable as such or in the form of a powder after dialysis with an appropriate buffer solution and lyophilization.

EXAMPLE 3 The ammonium sulfate-resolved enzyme obtained in Example 2 was first dissolved in an aqueous mixed solution of 1/ 100 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.6), 1/ 10 M potassium chloride and 2/ 1000 M EDTA. The aqueous mixed solution was then passed through a column (4 cm. x 90 cm.) packed with Sephadex G-200, which had been buffered in advance with a bulfer solution having the same composition as in said aqueous mixed solution, and then eluted with the same buffer solution. From the effluent, ml. each of fractions having fraction number 50-70 were collected, whereby PGase-I and PGase-II were obtained, respectively. In this case, effective fractions of both enzymes were almost identical with each other. PGase-I enzyme was found to be 200 mg. as protein and 540 units as the total enzyme content (a rate of recovery based on the crude enzyme solution: 57% while PGase- II was 200 mg. as protein and 784 units as the total enzyme content (a rate of recovery based on the crude enzyme solution: 65%

A partially refined mixed enzyme solution comprising PGase-I and PGase-II obtained according to the abovementioned operation was adsorbed on a DEAE Sephadex column (2.0 cm. x 40.0 cm.), which had been buffered with an aqueous mixed solution of 1/ 100 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 8.0), 1/ 10 M potassium chloride and 2/ 1000 M EDTA. The adsorbed enzyme solution was eluted according to potassium chloride concentration gradient elution method within a range of from 0.1 M up to 0.5 M, whereby PGase-I was eluted at a potassium chloride concentration of from 0.17 M to 0.21 M, and PGasc-II at from 0.23 M to 0.27 M.

These purified fractions were collected to show that PGase-I was found to be 19 mg. as protein and 309 units as the total enzyme content (a rate of recovery based on the crude enzyme solution: 33%), and PGase-II was 19.6 mg. as protein and 638 units as the total enzyme content (said recovery rate: 53%). The results of the elution in the DEAE Sephadex column according to the potassium lloride concentration gradient method were as shown in Subsequently, the partially rened enzyme solutions of PGase-I and PGase-II were subjected respectively to chromatography Iby means of a column packed with hydroxylapatite (Bio Gel HT).

Firstly, the partially refined enzyme solution of PGase-I was adjusted to pH 7.0 with 1/ 100 M phosphate buffer solution and then passed through a column packed with hydroxylapatite, which had been buifered in advance with 1/ 100 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.0), and adsorbed thereon. The adsorbed enzyme was eluted out according to linear concentration gradient method using the same buer solution at 0.02 M to 0.04 M in terms of phosphate concentration. The PGase-I enzyme thus eluted was found to be 2 mg. as protein and 129 units as the total enzyme content A(a rate of recovery based on the crude enzyme solution: 13%).

Secondly, PGase-II was eluted out, according to the same procedure as above, at 0.035 M-0.05 M in terms of phosphate concentration.

The PGase-II thus eluted was found to be 3.5 mg. as protein and 256 units as the total enzyme content (a rate of recovery based on the crude enzyme solution: 21%).

The enzymes thus obtained were subjected respectively to dialysis with distilled water and dried in vacuo to obtain standard products o'f refined enzymes of PGase-I and PGase-II respectively, in the form of a white powder.

These refined enzyme standard products were subjected to chromatography with Sephadex G- to show that as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, PGase-I and PGase-II showed their respective single peaks and they were homogeneous, respectively.

EXAMPLE 4 5 kilograms of defatted soy bean, which had been subjected to water spray at a rate of was cooked under steam pressure of 1 kg./cm.2 for 40 minutes. The cooked soy bean was mixed with 5 kilograms of roasted and powdered wheat, and soy sauce seed koji was sprayed thereupon. The culture was carried out in per se known manner for 4 days to obtain 12 kilograms of koji of excellent quality. The obtained koji was charged in 12 liters of a 24% saline water and the saline koji broth was subjected to fermentation and ripening in per se known manner at about 30 C. for 3 months with aeration from time to time.

Separately, strain No. 466 of Bacillus cz'rculans was cultured in a liquid medium (pH 7.2) prepared by adding 0.3% of yeast extracts, 1% of peptone, 0.5% of lactose, 0.025% of magnesium sulfate, 0.001% of ferrous sulfate and 0.17% of dipotassium hydrogen phosphate to 400 liters of water, at 30 C. for 16 hours with areation-agitation. The bacterial cells, in which peptidoglutaminase-I and peptidoglutaminase-II had been accumulated, were ground by means of a sonic wave disintegrator and centrifuged to collect a supernatant solution, i.e. a crude enzyme solution. To the crude enzyme solution was added gradually a solution containing streptomycin and a sediment of nucleic acid was removed. The solution was further saturated with ammonium sulfate to a degree of 38-54% and a sediment fraction was collected. The sediment thus obtained was lyophilized to obtain 4 grams of powdery crude enzyme (a mixture of PGase-I and PGase-II). This crude enzyme contained 4,3000 units of PGase-I and 3,650 units of PGase-II. The thus obtained powdery peptidoglutaminase was added in an amount in terms of 2,000 units of PGase-I and 1,800 units of PGase-II to the aboveprepared saline koji broth just before being subjecting to fermentation and ripening, and mixed therewith.

After the 3-month ripening at 30 C., the ripened mash was pressed to obtain 23 liters of a soy sauce containing the total nitrogen content of 1.7%, of which the amount of glutamic acid was 18.9 mg./ml. T'his glutamic acid content represents 10.56% of the product soy sauce taken as the proportion of the resultant glutamic acid nitrogen to the total nitrogen content. In view of thev fact that a soy sauce, which had been prepared in the same manner as above -but without addition of the peptidoglutaminase, contained glutamic acid nitrogen at 7.69% to the total nitrogen content. It is understood from this example that glutamic acid nitrogen was markedly formed.

EXAMPLE 5 Example 4 was repeated to obtain the same saline koji broth. Separately, a mixed ammonium sulfate-precipitated crude enzyme of PGase-I and PGase-II was prepared according to the same procedure as in Example 4. Said crude enzyme mixture Was subjected to Sephadex G-200 column with a mixed buffer solution comprising 1/ 100 M phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.6), l/ 10 M potassium chloride and 2/ 1000 M EDTA. Of the eluent, fractions having fraction number of 50-70 were collected, and an PGase-I and PGase-II were lyophilizedto-obtain therespective rened enzymes.

,1,900 units of the rened enzyme, PGase-I and 1,700 units of the refined enzyme, PGase-II were added tovand mixed respectively with the saline koji broth, which had been previously prepared, justbefore being subjected to .fermentation and ripening. Thereafter, the same'procedure as in Example 4 was repeated to'obtain a superior soy sauce excellent in palatability. In soy sauces thus prepared, into which PGase-I and PGase-II had been added, the values of the resultant glutamic acid nitrogen/the total nitrogen content were 8.18% and 9.14%, respectively. These values were excellent as Compared with those of soy sauces into which neither PGase-I nor PGase-II had been added, 7.69%. i v

EXAMPLE 6 100 grams of wheat gluten was charged with tap water to total up to 380 ml., stirred and cooked under a pressure of 1 kg./cm.2 for 3() minutes. Thereafter, the cooked gluten was charged with g. of a proteolytic enzyme (an enzyme commercially available, which is produced from Aspergillus oryzae and is partially rened: produced by Sigma Co. U.S.A.) and 2:4 g. of a peptidoglutaminase preparation (the ammonium sulfate-precipitated powder obtained in Example 4). The mixture was subjected to hydrolysis at 30 C. for 3 days in the presence of toluene, where the pH was 5.0.

After the hydrolysis was over, the reaction mixture was pressed to give 360 ml. of a gluten hydrolyzate which was markedly excellent in palatability. The liquid seasoning thus obtained contained 30 mg./ml. of. glutamic acid, whereas the same seasoning but without addition of the PGase preparation, contained only 8 mg./ml. vof the same.

This gluten hydrolyzate may be usable for the preparation of various seasonings and soups, either as such or after being concentrated or, if necessary, dried and powdered in per se known manner.

EXAMPLE 7 1.3 kilograms of soy bean, which had been immersed in water in per se known manner at ordinary temperature for 12 hours, was cooked under a steam pressure of 0.3 kg./cm.2 for 1 hour and 40 minutes. Separately, 1.5 kg. of rice was immersed in water at ordinary temperature for 12 hours and steamed under atmospheric pressure for 1 hour 30 minutes. The steamed rice was sprayed with seed koji for miso (bean paste), and a solid culturing was effected at about 30 C. for 60 days. The cultured product was mixed with 400 g. of common salt. To said culture product was added 32 g. of wet cells prepared in per se known manner from cultured cells obtained by liquid culture of strain No. 466 of Bacillus circulans in the same manner as in Example 4, and thoroughly mixed therewith. The mixture was ripened by allowing to stand at 30 C. for 3 months. Thus, there was obtained a superior miso product. This product contained 46% of water, 12% of crude protein, 9.5% of common salt and 6.5 mg./ g. of glutamic acid. While a control miso contained 5.1 mg./g. of glutamic acid.

The present product was subjected to an organoleptic test to give extremely excellent results.

EXAMPLE S liters of cows milk was charged into a cheese vat and 1% of a starter was added at 30 C., according to ordinary procedure for making gouda cheese, thereto. When the concentration of the lactic acid content reached 0.18-0.27%, rennet was added so that the milk casein might coagulate in 10-15 minutes, and 1 g. of a peptidoglutaminase preparation (ammonium-precipitated powder) was further added thereto. The mixture was thoroughly stirred, thereby coagulating the protein thereof. Thereafter, whey was excluded therefrom. Coagulated vcu'rds 'were collected, and warmed and compressed in per se known manner and then charged with table salt. The

resultant product was ripened at 15 C. for 2 months to 1. A `peptidoglutaminase prepared `from the peptidoglutaminase producing microorganism, Bacillus circulans No. 466 ATCC 21590 which is characterized by the following properties:

(1) said lpeptidoglutaminase having an activity to l deamidate glutaminyl-peptides to form a glutamylpeptides;

(2) being completely inactivated when maintained at pH 2.5, 4 C. for 16 hours;

`(3) being inactivated in its activity by S30-60% in the presence of Hg and Cu;

l (4) being stable when kept at pH 6.0-11.4;

(5) `said enzyme having activity both in the presence of Ca++ and in the absence of Ca++; and

(6) said enzyme having no activity for substitution of the'amide group of glutamine with a primary amine but being able to hydrolyze the amide group of glutamide. v

2. A peptidoglutaminase-I prepared from the peptidoglutaminase producing microorganism, Bacillus circulan. No. 466 ATCC 21590 which is characterized by the following properties:

, (1) said peptidoglutaminase-I having an activity to deamidate glutaminyl-peptides on which glutamine v is on the carboxy terminal position to form glutamylpeptides; (2) being completely inactivated when maintained at pH 2.5, 4 C. for 16 hours. I

(3) being inactivated in its activity by 30-60% in the presence of Hg and Cu;

(4) being stable when kept at pH 6.0-11.4;

(5 having an optimum pH value at 7.0 to 8.0 inclusive;

(i6) having a molecular weight of 80,000-90,000;

(7) said enzyme having activity both in the presence of Ca++ and in the absence of Ca++; and

(8) said enzyme having no activity for substitution of the amide group of glutamine with a primary amine but being able to hydrolyze the amide group of glutamine.

3. A peptidoglutaminase-II prepared from the peptideglutaminase producing microorganism, Bacillus cz'rculans No. 466 ATCC 21590 which is characterized by the following properties:

(l) said peptidoglutaminase-II having an activity to deamidate glutaminyl-peptides where glutamine is on the amino-terminal or at the internal position of the peptide to form glutamyl-peptides;

(2) being completely inactivated in its activity when maintained at pH 2.5, 4 C. for 16 hours;

(3) being inactivated in its activity by 30-60% in the presence of Hg and Cu;

(4) being stable when kept at pH 6.0-1 1.4;

(5) having an optimum pH value at 6.5 and 8.0 inclusive;

(6) having a molecular weight of 130,000140,000;

(7) said enzyme having activity both in the presence of Ca++ and in the absence of Ca++g and (8) said enzyme having no activity for substitution of the amide group of glutamine with a primary amine but being able to hydrolyze the amide group of glutamine.

4. A peptidoglutaminase substance prepared from the peptidoglutaminase producing microorganism, Bacillus circulans No. 466 ATCC 21590 which is a mixture of 15 peptidoglutaminase-I which is characterized by` the following properties:

(1) said peptidoglutaminase-I having an activity to deamidate glutaminyl-peptides on which glutamine is on the carboxy terminal position to form glutamylpeptides;

(2) being completely inactivated when maintained at pH 2.5, 4 C. for 16 hours;

(3) being inactivated in its activity by 30-60% in the presence of Hg and Cu;

(4) being stable when kept at pH y6.0--11.4;

(5) having an optimum pH value at 7.0 to 8.0 inclusive;

(6) having a molecular weight of 80,00090,000;

(7) said enzyme having activity both in the presence of Ca++ and in the absence of Ca++; and

(8) said enzyme having no activity for substitution of the amide group of glutamine with a primary amine but being able to hydrolyze the amide group of glutamine;

and peptidoglutaminase-II which is characterized by the following properties:

(1) said peptidoglutaminase-II having an activity t0 deamidate glutaminyl-peptides where glutamine is on the amino-terminal or at the internal position of the peptide to form glutamyl-peptides;

(2) being completely inactivated in its activity when maintained at pH 2.5, 4 C. for 16 hours;

(3) being inactivated in its activity by 30-60% in the presence of Hg and Cu;

(4) being stable when kept at pH 6.0-1 1.4;

(5 having an optimum pH value at 6.5 to 8.0 inclusive;

(6) having a molecular weight of 130,000140,'00O;

(7) said enzyme having activity both in the presence of Ca++ and in the absence of Ca++; and

(8) said enzyme having no activity for substitution of the amide group of glutamine with a primary amine but being able to hydrolye the 4amide group of glutamine.

16 5. A method for producing a peptidoglutaminase having an activity to deamidate glutaminyl-peptides to form a glutamyl-peptide which comprises cluturing the peptidoglutaminase producing microorganism, Bacillus crculans No. 466 ATCC 21590 in a culture medium under aerobic conditions until a peptidoglutaminase is accumulated in Vthe bacterial cells and in the culture, and recovering said peptidoglutaminase therefrom.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the recovered peptidoglutaminase is substantially peptidoglutaminase-I having an activity to deamidate glutaminyl- `peptidases on which glutamine is on the carboxy terminal position to form glutamylpeptides.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the recovered peptidoglutaminase is substantially peptidoglutaminase-II having an activity to deamidate glutarninylpeptides where glutamine is ou the amino-terminal or at the internal position of the peptide to form glutamylpeptides.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the recovered peptidoglutaminase is substantially a mixture of peptidoglutaminase-I having an activity to deamidate glutaminyl-peptides on which glutamine is on the carboxy terminal position to form glutamyl-peptides and peptidoglutaminase-II having an activity to deamidate glutaminylpeptides where glutamine is on the amino-terminal or at the internal position of the peptide to form glutamylpeptides.

References Cited Folk et al., Journal of Biological Chemistry 240, 2951- LIONEL M. SHAPIRO, Primary Examiner U.s. C1. Xn. 

